Port Blair, Nov 23: The Member of Parliament of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma has requested the Chief Secretary to assess the matter of Baratang Fiber Boat owners for special consideration and waive off the berthing charges for nearly 40 Fiber Boats, which were discarded several years ago and are not in operation.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary the Member of Parliament mentioned that due to the changes in Inland Vessel Act (IV Act), nearly 40 Fiber Boats were taken out of service in Baratang Island and these boats were kept abandoned behind the passenger hall of the Nilambur Jetty, Baratang since all these years. He added that as per the required norms of IV Act, the owner these discarded boats had to buy new Fiber Boats and operate the same in Baratang region for tourism purposes.
The Member of Parliament pointed out that now after nearly five years, the Port Management Board has served notice to the boat owners to pay berthing charges for these, nearly 40, abandoned Fiber Boats for last five years. He mentioned that due to Corona pandemic, with entire Tourism Industry, the Baratang Boat operators have also suffered heavy financial losses during the last two years and now demanding berthing fees that too for the discarded Fiber Boats, will financially ruin these boat operators.
He said that the owners of these fiber boats are unemployed youths of Baratang, who have taken huge loan from bank to purchase boat and run their family. They get tourists hardly for six months in a year. Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma added that the Baratang Boat owners are not in a position to pay such a huge amount to the Port Management Board as since last nearly two years they have earned almost nothing from the Tourism Industry. Accordingly, he requested the Chief Secretary to assess the matter of Baratang Fiber Boat owners for special consideration and waive off the berthing charges for nearly 40 Fiber Boats.
